Franklin w



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 580,763, dated April 13, 189'?. Application filed May 8, 1896. vSerial No. 590,721. (N0 model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern..

Beit known that I, FRANKLIN W. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seals for Cars, Baggage, &c. 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in seals for cars and other purposes, and has for its object-s economy and simplicity of construction coupled with security against fraudulent tampering with the same; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the peculiarity of construction and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter fully described.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may know howto construct and use the same, I will proceed to describe the construction ofthe several parts and the lnanner in which they coperate, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View, partlyin section, of one of my improved seals with one end of the shackle-wire in locked position. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing a modification of the interlocking wire or spring for securing the hook ends of the shackle. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing still another modification of the interlocking wire and also a modiication of the sheet-metal case, whereby the two ends of the shackle-wire may be int-roduced and locked through opposite ends of the case. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of Fig. 3. view to Fig. 3,with double locking springs or wires. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the' sheet-metal casing which contains the locking-springs and showing on the top surface the embossed or intaglio characters designating the station at which the seal is used and also the serial number of the seal. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing thereverse or bottom of the casing with embossed or intaglio characters designating the railroad using the seal.

Fig. 7 is a similar' Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A is a sheet-metal case turned up to constitu te or form the sides and ends of the case and to overlap and securely hold in place a iiat metal top B, as clearly shown in Fig. l0.

The bottom portion O of the casing is struck up to form a central rib or partition D, (seen in Figs. l, 3, 4, 6, and 9,) which constitutes a guide for the movement of the hook ends of the shackle-wire and causes it to interlock with the spring locking device E.

One end of the casing Ais formed with the two slots or openings a a for the passage of the shackle-wire F, or each end of the casing may be formed with a single slot or opening, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

The shackle-wire is formed with a hook b at each end andl adapted to firmly interlock the corresponding hook end of the locking devices contained within the casing, as clearly shown at Fig. l, and inasmuch as the openings a in the ends of the casing must be sufficiently large to permit the passage of the hook b on the end of the shackle the latter is folded againstitself, as shown at c, Fig. l, s0 thatwhen the shackle is properlyinterlocked with the locking device E the channels or openings a will be entirely filled or closed, and thus prevent the introduction of any tool or device designed to disengage the hook of the shackle from the locking device E.

It will also be observed that the fold in the shackle-wire is of such extent that when the hook end of said shackle is interlocked with the locking device E the folded portion fills the passage a and extends for some distance both above and below the said passage a, thus more perfectly guarding against the cutting of the wire near the passage and inserting the cut end and temporarily concealing the same.

It will be understood that in lieu of folding the shackle-wire, as shown at c, Fig. l, it may be similarly folded back and forth horizontally to such an extent as to produce the same result.

The locking device consists of a single piece of wire bent into the form shown at Fig. l, or of duplex form, as shown at Figs. 2, 3, and 7, and when made and used in the form IOO shown at Figs. 2 and 7 the rib or web D in the casing A may be dispensed with, as the vertical central arms of the locking device constitute an equivalent therefor. It will also be observed that by the employment of the locking devices (shown at Figs. 3 and 7) the casing may be made either with or without the central rib or web D, and at the same time permit of the shackle-wire entering the casing from opposite directions, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 7.

The top B of the casing is laid upon the locking device and the edges of the casing turned up and over the same to securely hold the locking device in place, andA one end of the sliackle- Wire is preferably interlocked with the locking mechanism, as shown in Fig. l, in which condition the seal is shipped from the factory, and when it is desired to use the se'al the free end of the shackle, after being passed through the hasp or staple or other fastening device, is then forced into the sheetmetal casing and caused to interlock, as shown. The seal cannot then be removed except by cutting the wire in the usual way.

I so construct the shacke-hook and the locking devices that the distance between the free end of the locking device and the end of the case will be just a little greater than the length of the hook of the shackle, and thus there will no possibility of releasing the hooks after they have once interlocked.

I am aware that it is not new to construct a casin g of friable material with interior ab utments or shoulders adapted to interlock with spring-hook ends of a Wire-shackle, and do not wish to be understood as making claim to any such construction.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

l. A seal embodying in its organization a hollow sheet-metal casing A with shacklepassages a, a sheet-metal cover B secured in position by flanges on the casing, an interiorly-arranged independent double-hooked locking device E, and a shackle-wire F formed with hooks b at each end engaging with the oppcsitely-trendin g hooks of the locking device, substantially as liereinbefore set forth.

2. The casing A crimped to constitute a central straight rib D, and provided with shackle-passages a, in combination with the cover B, an independent locking device E having its ends arranged each side of the rib D, and a shackle-wire F provided with locking-hooks b at each end, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN IV. BROOKS.

NVitnesses:

WM. (J. MCINTIRE, N. CURTIS LAMMOND. 

